Anchored Soul
by holydarknessrising
Summary: Um... Well, I'm really not sure how to summarise. It's Alry, that is Al x Winry, and there are hints of Ed x ?.
1.

I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. I just really think it's wonderful and would like to try my hand at spinning a heartfelt, and yes, angst-filled tale about Alry, or the Al X Winry pairing, because I love it. Also, there is an Ed X ? pairing. See if you can discover the mystery of Ed's lover!

* * *

Alphonse Elric stopped behind his brother, who had been sulkily walking out the doors of the Colonel's office, obviously perturbed by the dark-haired man's haughty smirk and cleverly disguised comments on the fifteen-year-old's height. Metal scraped against metal, causing a not-too-loud grating noise as the helmet of the six-foot-tall suit of armor turned.

"You know, Mustang-taisa," said a voice originating from somewhere inside the suit of armor, bouncing around until it escaped from one of the many exits with a tinny quality, as a child's voice sounds echoing from a tin can, "You really shouldn't tease Nii-san so, he's very sensitive about his height."

"It's all in good nature, Alphonse-kun," replied the man from, his chin resting on his white-gloved hands, elbows resting on his desk. "Besides, his reaction is priceless."

Alphonse made a slight noise at the unabashed declaration from the Colonel, he simply looked at the man, and then, with a creaky nod to both him and the blonde woman, First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, who stood in the corner, the armor-clad soul of the youngest Elric brother left the office, shutting the door behind himself.

"Mustang-taisa, do you really think you should have told him that?" Hawkeye's voice held a slightly scolding tone as she addressed her superior.

"No harm done there, Riza," he replied calmly, dismissing her by going back to his paper work. As the blonde woman left he looked up once more. "Oh, and Riza?"

The First Lieutenant stopped her hand resting on the door handle, about ready to close it behind her departing form to leave Roy to his work. "Yes, Mustang-taisa?"

"It's Roy."

"Of course, Musta… Roy-san."

"No, Riza, just Roy."

She nodded, her blue eyes boring holes into the man's head. "Roy." She closed the door, and it latched with a click. The Flame Alchemist looked back to his papers, a damage invoice from the last encounter of the Fullmetal and one of his homunculi.

"See ya, Al," called the Edward Elric from the doorway.

"Where are you going, Nii-san?" Al looked up from his mad-dash cleaning. He had been polishing the small table that stood in the center of the room, but now that he had been distracted from his work, he leaned the weight of the armor on the small oak surface.

"I'm just going to meet someone."

Al racked his brain to think of who his older brother could be going to see when it was almost time for their evening meal. "But Nii-san, Winry's coming here…"

Edward shook his be-plaited head, smiling in a slightly mischievous manner. "It's not Winry."

"She'll be angry when you're not here to see her."

"Something tells me she won't be too devastated," said the Fullmetal, trying to assure his brother that it might be okay for him to skip out on the company of their long-time friend for one day. The table groaned slightly, and Edward looked to it, but apparently his younger brother had not noticed.

"Maybe…" Al still wasn't so sure of how the girl would take it. "But… Who could possibly be so important that you wouldn't want to see her?"

Edward's mind drifted back from the table to his little brother. "Al… I've told you before; I don't like Winry like that; she's not the most important person in the world to me. You're the most important, and that's why I will get your body back. And… don't do anything with Winry that you'd regret." Edward had added the last little bit as a joke, though he didn't think of the repercussions the comment could have on his little brother.

"That's not funny, Ed… Besides, why could I do? I'm trapped in a suit of armor… 'A walking tin can,' like Envy said…"

"Al… I've told you before not to listen to that psychopath!"

"Yeah, I know, but…"

"Dammit Al! 'But' nothing! We'll get your body back; you just have to wait a little longer… I… I promise. I don't care if I have to have these automail limbs for the rest of my life, you'll be restored…" Ed had been fingering his pocket watch, and upon removing it and flicking it open, he discovered that he was late. "Sorry Al, I gotta go."

Ed turned around and left the room, closing the door behind him, and just as it clicked into place, the table groaned its last and buckled underneath the weight of the steel armor.

"No!" exclaimed Alphonse, taking out chalk and drawing a transmutation circle on the planks of the hardwood floor, placing the bits of broken table into the center. He knelt, clapping his hands and then placing them upon the edge of the outer chalk ring, the blue glow of alchemy issuing from the marking. The pieces of wood, raised by the alchemic power, began to reassemble themselves. Quickly, Al wiped the chalk transmutation circle from the floor with the still-damp cleaning cloth.

The girl looked around the train station for any sign of the brothers Elric, and to her dismay, she found none. "That's odd… I can't even see Al…" she muttered, the disappointment weighing down her usually light voice. "Though, I suppose if they're not here, there's a good reason." The blonde noticed that she was receiving an odd look from the man standing next to her and she blushed slightly, giggling nervously. _Great,_ thought she, _look like you're crazy, Winry_.

Looking back to the doors of the station, Winry noticed a figure much taller and broader than the others, the late afternoon sun glaring off his bald head. _Oh, no… Not him…_

"Rockbell-sama!" called a deep voice, and Winry resignedly stepped forward.

"Good afternoon, Armstrong-san. Where are Ed and Al?"

"Ah, please forgive them. Alphonse-kun said he needed to prepare for your arrival and Edward-kun said something of a prior engagement."

Winry could feel anger rising within her. "A 'prior engagement?'"

"Yes, Rockbell-sama, that is what he said."

"Armstrong-san, did he say who this prior engagement was with?"

"No, I'm sorry, but he did not."

"So he leaves his little brother to do all the work _and_ he doesn't want to see me?"

"Ah… I do not think you should take it so hard…"

"Please, can we go see Al now?"

"Of course, Rockbell-sama."

Winry allowed Alex to take her suitcase and followed him outside to the awaiting carriage. Her mind was wandering and the thoughts in the mind of the girl were far from kind. _Oh, Edward, wait until I get my hands on you…_

The Fullmetal Alchemist was rather worried, which was typically characteristic of him, except that this time, the subject of this concern was not his younger brother. He stood next to the decrepit building, as instructed his coat pulled tightly around him despite the warm late afternoon sunlight. He sighed, taking his hands off his hips and crossing them over his chest as he leaned back onto the firm stone wall. He fidgeted, taking out his watch once more.

"Strange… He should be here by now… I was even late."

"Your faith in me is distressing, Fullmetal."

Edward turned to see the face of the person who'd summoned him, or more, established this meeting with him. "Took you long enough," was his cocky reply.

"Yes well, there were some unforeseeable circumstances."

"Oh? And what were they? Or are you going to be secretive about that as well?"

"Why, I'm sure I have no idea what you mean…"

Ed gave the man a scrutinizing look, his arms akimbo once more. "Stop playing games."

"… Fine." A period of silence followed.

"Well?"

"'Well' what?"

Edward began to sulk, changing the position of his hands once more, and again, crossing his arms over his chest, though this time his posture was not quite as relaxed. "What held you up?"  
"You're cute when you pout."

"Stop changing the subject-" The cry of the Fullmetal was cut short by a hand placed over his mouth. Amber eyes gazed upwards into those of his irritator. A second arm snaked its way around the fifteen-year-old's waist. Edward Elric felt himself relax as the arm pulled him closer and he wrapped his own arms around the waist of the other. Slowly, the hand was drawn away from his mouth and gently cupped the side of his face.

"What were you saying?" asked the velvety-smooth voice of Edward's companion.

"Hmm?"

"That's what I thought…"

The taller figure leaned over, pressing Edward's lips sweetly into their own.

Ed began to smile. Their lips broke apart. "Our first-" His words were stopped once more, but this time, the object that blocked them was the soft lips, rather than the hand.

"As I suspected," whispered the First Lieutenant to her self, turning around from her vantagepoint several yards away and walking back to headquarters.

Alphonse Elric had just finished his cleaning, and while smoothing the blankets on his brother's bed, he heard a knock upon the door. Startled, Alphonse almost fell over, but caught himself just in time, the only thing resulting from the fall a loud crash of his armor. Getting to his feet, Al clanked to the door, opening it hurriedly and pleasantly surprised, though not so surprised as he had been expecting her, to see the blonde standing behind it.

"Winry!"

"Hello Al," she said pleasantly. "Where's your brother?"

"Oh…" The fourteen-year-old had a hard time concealing the disappointment in his voice as his childhood friend's first question had been about his brother. "He's gone to meet someone." He moved aside, clanking with each step so as to make room for her to enter.

She walked inside the small dormitory of the Elrics, smiling congenially, though inwardly fuming. "Did he say who?"

"No…"

"That is so like him!" she cried indignantly. "To leave you here all alone, wondering where he is, making you do all the work cleaning… You're okay, aren't you, Al?"

He felt better as she questioned him and he discovered the motives behind her questioning. "Yes, I'm alright. How are you? And how's Aunt Pinako? And Den?"

"We're all fine, Al," she said laughing slightly, amazed at how, despite his own problems, the young man would worry about others before himself.

"That's good to hear," he said, shuffling around the small room nervously, fluffing a pillow here, and dusting quickly there.

Winry noticed this and began to wonder. _Is something going on? Where is Ed exactly? Why is Al acting like that?_ "Al… What's wrong?"

The boy stopped at her words, looking up at her, seeing the concern in her blue eyes directed at him. "Winry… Nothing's wrong."

She glared, knowing him well enough to tell he was hiding something from her, even from the sound of his voice. "Alphonse Elric… Do you really not trust me?" Her voice reflected how hurt she was by his secrecy.

"No!" exclaimed Al, his voice once again taking on a high-pitched, excited tone. He moved around from his position in the corner, near the window, until he was in front of the couch, which he sat on next to her, placing his chain-mail gloves on his steel legs. "I…"

Winry picked up on his tone and scooted closer to him, hoping it would bring him comfort even if he couldn't feel it. "Al… You're real, you know?"  
"I… I know. That's not it."

"Oh… Al?"  
"Yes Winry?"

"Does it hurt?"

"Winry…" he began, his voice soft and sensitive, and he watched as she moved her hand and placed it on his forearm, his cold, metal forearm. "You know I can't feel anything."

"That's not what I mean… Does… Does it hurt that you can't feel?"

He nodded, his helmet clanking with the movement. "Yes… It does."

"I wish there was something I could do."

"Can you… tell me a story?"

She looked at him, tears in her eyes. "Al… I don't know what you mean."

"Winry… could you tell me a story, a true story, about our childhood."

The blonde girl nodded and began her tale, allowing Al's cold, metal hands to use a cloth to gently dry her tears. "We were eight years old, Ed was nine…"

* * *

Okay, so there's the end of the first chapter of my first Fullmetal Alchemist fan fic. Could you figure out whom Ed's mysterious caller was? If not, I might eventually reveal it, but then again, you could have guessed wrong! Please, review, because I'm not so sure if I should continue this or not. It might not have been too good…

* * *


	2. 

Alright, so here it is, the second chapter of my Fullmetal Alchemist fic. As I said before, I do not own rights to any part of Fullmetal Alchemist, Square-Enix does, I suppose, as well as its wonderful creator. And now… time for a shameless plug. http/fullmetal. Here is a link to a Fullmetal Alchemist roleplay site, a site in which slash couplings are allowed, as long as both members agree to it. We still need several canon characters, which means… All you slash fans should join as your favorites soon before non-slash lovers take them. And… we need a Winry… for Alry purposes… Okay, so now, here's the story.

* * *

"So how was your night?" inquired Edward Elric of his younger brother, who, despite his inability to express emotion, did look very tired. 

Alphonse lifted his helmet from its downcast position, the squeaking of his joints accompanied by the scrape of metal upon metal. "Huh? What do you mean, Nii-san?"

Ed smiled in a knowing manner, which only perplexed the anchored soul further, his gaze shifting so the blonde was in his line of vision. "You know what I mean, Al. How'd it go with Winry?"

"Oh," the boy encased in the metal shell replied simply, staring at his brother with an almost frustrated expression registering in his glowing eyes. "It went well."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you honestly think something happened, Edward? Are you really so accustomed to my condition that you've become blind to it?"

Noticing the bitterness in Al's voice, Ed winced. He was the cause of his brother's suffering, and in his attempt to make a joke; he had only poked an open wound.

"Nii-san…" began Al, the low tone in his high-pitched voice ringing a chord of remorse, "I'm sorry. I—"

"No, Al, don't apologize. You had every right to get angry. I… I shouldn't have said anything."

The brothers sat in silence, both staring heavily down upon their hands as was typical when they were unsure of what to say or do. It was Alphonse who broke the quiet.

"How did your meeting go?"

Ed began to grin once more, a glow of happiness radiating from his face. "Perfect," he almost cooed, though his dream-like tone was masked very well and sounded quite like his normal voice.

"Who was it that was so important that—"

"That I skipped out on you and Winry?" Al's helmet squeaked as it dipped down and back up again in a nod of confirmation. "Nobody."

Al could tell something was different in the tone of Edward's voice. "Well… It had to be _somebody_…"

"You're right, but… I'm just not ready to tell you yet."

"Oh… Okay."

"Al?"

"Yes, Nii-san?"

"Don't sound so miserable. I promise you, if it was something big, you'd know. You'll be the first one I tell."

"Okay…" Al looked from his brother back to his hands. After a short pause, his gaze shifted to the blonde who sat looking at the floor. "Nii-san?"

"Yes?" Edward's gaze came up as well, to lock eyes with his younger brother.

"Do you love him?"

The Fullmetal's golden eyes widened with surprise. Al's tone had been so even, so flowing; it had hardly sounded like a shift in the conversation at all. Of course, the shift had been from unknowing innocence into an almost eerie omniscient wisdom. How had Al known?

"A-Al?" Ed could feel his rapid heartbeat diminish in its speed slightly. Al knew, that meant he didn't need to tell him, or explain… And still, he wondered what gave him away. "How did you—"

"I'm not sure… Something about how you act around him, a difference in you. When he's around, you're… _happier_… I notice, even though you tried to hide it from me. I know you better than anyone, Nii-san…" His voice was full of the wisdom of an innocent, a pure and joyous knowledge that seemed child-like and simple in nature; a nature and knowledge that the compassionate Alphonse Elric indeed seemed to embody, though his maturity and knowledge of the cruel world of adults did lessen the sense of childhood.

"Yeah. I knew I couldn't hide it from you… But…"

"So… Do you?"

Edward's smile widened and he stood, placing his hands akimbo and closing his eyes the way he did when he was found out but amused at being so. "You know… I'm not sure yet, Al… I just don't know…"

- - - - -

Mustang sat at his desk, his chin resting upon the heel of his left palm, glaring down at the slight stack of paperwork with a very bored expression plastered onto his face. A pen was in a tentative resting position in his right hand, though nowhere near the papers. Truth be told, behind the look of dull concentration and his eyes seemingly poring over the official documents before him, the mind of the colonel wandered. That is, until he heard the sound of the door opening.

Ink flowed from the ballpoint, a slightly sloppy, though regal, signature appearing on the paper amidst the _scritch-scratch_ of the metal upon the fibers.

"Good to see you working for a change." Roy looked up from the document into the face he had expected to see. Though the tone of the First Lieutenant had been completely serious, her superior and companion had caught the joke and smiled slightly. The expression did not go unreciprocated.

"I find that betwixt all my days off, it is rather good to get back to work," replied the dark-headed man just as facetiously.

"Ah, yes. One day of work a month, is that how you work it?"

"Well, I consider it work just to drag my self to this office every day. Must I also wear out my hands by writing my name fifty times over?"

The sarcasm ended, as did the good-natured conversation when the light in Riza Hawkeye's sapphire eyes faded. She looked at the colonel almost sadly, and though he caught the expression, he pretended not to notice. _Whatever could that look be for?_ wondered Roy.

"Are you not tired, Mustang-taisa?"

He looked at her, his expression puzzled and his brows knit together. "What do you mean? And I told you, call me 'Roy.'" _Could she have possibly… No. We were alone._

"The Fullmetal was said to have come in late, I assume he was off chasing one of his homunculi… But, the records show that you returned to your private apartment around the same time. Were you aiding him in an imaginary chase?"

"Riza…" Roy could not understand what the blonde was getting at. There was no way she could have seen them together, it was dark, they were covered, the area they had been at was abandoned, and yet… "No, there weren't any homunculi where I was. As for the Fullmetal, I don't know—"

Riza thrust her palm onto the desk, a loud _thwack _issuing from the point of connection. "Do not lie to me, Roy!"

Colonel Mustang's eyes widened as he realized he had been spotted, and apparently, Riza had done all the research to see if her findings had been true. _She truly is a great officer. That mind of her's… Uncanny._ The man sighed, looking downward before glancing up at the woman again.

"What did you see?"

- - - - -

"I'm sorry," the Fullmetal bowed slightly to the perturbed looking blonde who stood before him, her hands on her hips, her posture menacing. _Damn,_ thought the young man, _she's still taller than I am._

"Stop wincing like that! I won't hurt you," her voice was still slightly indignant from the reprimand she had issued to him. "Besides, I don't have my wrench with me."

Ed relaxed, exhaling deeply and letting his shoulders drop as he looked up smiling. He was just in time to see a close-up of Winry's palm as it came into contact with his cheek, _hard. _

"OW!" he cried, rubbing the now flushed area of skin gingerly with a gloved hand, "what was that for?"

"Do you have any idea how your brother worries for you? You leave him to go gallivanting to God-knows-where with God-knows-who to do God-knows-what! Do you have any sense of responsibility! Are you—"

"What are you saying, Metal-head? Telling me _I_ have no sense of responsibility? I'm looking for the stone to _save_ him and _you're_ here telling _me_ that _I'm_ not responsible?"

"Do you even care about his feelings?"

"Of course I do! What do you think I am? A…"

"A what, Ed?"

"A… puppet…"

Winry looked as the young alchemist's head drooped, his bangs covering his face, making it seems like a curtain of shame had been drawn across his fair face. "Ed… I- I'm sorry… I didn't mean it."

"No… you're right, too. Everyone's right. I'm just—" His words were stopped by another strike to his face, though this time the left cheek. "HEY! What was _that_ for?"

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself! You're a _great _brother! And… if you're down on yourself… it'll only make Al worry more…"

"Winry?" Ed looked up through his hair, his golden eyes at the very roof of his eyelids.

"Yes, Ed?"

"You… you really love him, don't you?"

"E-Ed…" She felt her throat tighten and her cheeks flush. Her heart started to beat much more quickly than she could remember, except for that one instance… She raised a hand to her face, trying to hide the blush but unable to.

"Well… You do, right?"

"… Yes, I do."

"Have you told him?"

"No… I… I was afraid it would only hurt him more."

Ed's eyes widened again, the second time that day, and though the subject was similar, it was completely different than the prior had been. "What?"

"Right now… I can tell, I can see that he shares my feelings…"

"Yeah… He does."

"And I can tell that it's tearing him apart. He thinks he can't do anything about it, at least, not while he's a soul anchored to a suit of armor. So… if he knew, I thought… It would make him think more of his condition, of how it's keeping us apart…"

"And… is it?"

Winry was silent, and she looked to the floor, feeling tears form in her eyes. "I… I don't know."

"Winry! Nii-san!" They turned to look through the door as they saw Al enter the small dorm room that belonged to the Elrics, as they were standing outside on the balcony. As the anchored soul neared them, he noticed Winry's tears, which were now streaming down her cheeks. He rushed over to her side, and though all knew he was concerned, it bothered the fourteen-year-old that he couldn't show it. "Winry… What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, Al… I'm fine," she sniffed, rubbing at her cheeks in vain the tears still flowing.

Edward looked at the two of them and could only feel a pang of sorrow and guilt from within him. _It's my fault they're so unhappy…_ He walked back into the room, straight for the door, which he opened, turning back to look at them. Al had gotten a handkerchief and was now gently drying the girl's tears. _He always puts others first…_ Ed smiled.

That was Al. He could be suffering more than any of them, and still he would only consider himself very last. Everyone and everything else were more important to him. _I'll do my best… _

"Winry… Did Nii-san make you cry?" asked Al as he used the white, square cloth to wipe her cheeks.

Winry grabbed one of his cold, chain-mail glove-hands, her small enveloped by it as she curved his fingers over hers. "No Al… He didn't."

"Winry… Did I make you cry?"

The tears regained their strength, coming more freely from her eyes as she embraced his cold, barrel-like torso.

"Winry!" he exclaimed, arms raised in surprise from the blonde's actions. The boy recovered, placing his cold, alive inanimate arms around her, protecting her in a sweet embrace. "Winry… It's okay…"

"Al… Is it really?"

"Yes… It is… Now it is."

* * *

And that was it. The masterpiece. NOT REALLY. But anyway, **review** please, as it will allow me to transmute a third chapter more quickly. 


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